Conventionally the most representative technological trend in the individual certification system is a method using a plastic card with a magnetic tape attached thereto as represented by a credit card, and in this method, data on an individual stored in the magnetic tape is read with a card reader and the individual is certified by collating the read data to those stored in a company managing the credit information. However, now many criminal acts such as forgery of credit cards are often committed, so that recently IC cards which can hardly be forged have been developed.
In a case of online certification, as the security is further strengthened by combining the encryption technology or an individual certification number therewith, it may be said that the card number is illegally read from the outside.
Further as a method of certifying an individual using a cellular telephone terminal, there has been known a method in which data for individual certification is previously sent via a cellular telephone terminal from the credit company and the individual is certified for payment by collating the individual certification data to the individual certification number.
In any of use of the IC card, online certification, and issuing of individual certification data via a cellular telephone terminal, however, there are the problems of “use of fixed information” and “existence of a card writer”, and therefore the risk that personal data is illegally read has not been completely eliminated. Further there is still no complete solution for online payment and clearance for the cyber business which will develop more and more in the future.